


The True Changes All

by otherman



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Forgiveness, Gen, Motherhood, Multi, R+L Means J, Secrets Revealed, Step-Mother/Step-Son relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-10
Updated: 2013-04-24
Packaged: 2017-12-08 03:06:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/756267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/otherman/pseuds/otherman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of events cause Catelyn to see Jon as something other than her husband's bastard</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Mother's Long Night

**Author's Note:**

> If you watch the show you should see were this was inspired from

As Jon Snow battle the pox Catelyn Stark prayed by his bedside with tear soaked eyes and heart filled with gilt. The boy had come down with the pox not long after his father had left the crush the Greyjoy Rebellion leaving Catelyn to see to the boy’s well being. Maester Luwin told her that if Jon survived the night he would live but would still need to remain in bed for a few days.

As Catelyn continued her work Jon struggled for breath, each cough made her guilt weigh down all the heavier as every wheeze only made her tears leak faster. Each time Jon’s breathe pause so did Catelyn, only when the boy’s breathe continue did her as well even if it was only for a brief moment; when Jon let out a cry of pain Catelyn had to steal herself to keep from breaking down as she worked on the charm in the hopes that the Seven answered her pleas.

When she finish her work she set it by his bedside and for the first time since her first saw the boy she looked at him not as a evil bastard she had always thought he would turn into but as the lonely little boy he had become.

His curls were just as dark as his father’s while his skin was of only slightly richer tone, his cheeks were higher, more rounded than his father despite his youth that much was still clear, a trait he likely got from his mother though she realized when paired with his square chin and board jaw it would make his face seam just as long perhaps even more so. It was clear he would grow into a handsome man, one that would chase any young maiden to blush.

Slowly she stroked the fingers of her right hand across his face, his skin damp from sweet and tears. When Jon made a slight shiver from her touch Catelyn took a small cloth and softly patted his face dry. Afterwards she took his right hand into both of her own and began a silent prayer.

“ _Judging Father, Nurturing Mother see my plea do not let this boy suffer for my selfness, I beg of you let him live; Noble Warrior, Powerful Smith know my cry grant Jon the strength to survive this night, I beg of you let him see the morning; Wise Crone, Loving Maiden hear my words please give me the power to love as if he were my own, I beg of you to grant me the wisdom to see past my jealousy so I may only see this lost child and not his unholy birth”_

See only to take one more look Jon before continuing

_“Enigmatic Stranger it is to you I pray to the most on this night, please pass over Jon and give a long life with his loving family. Please protect him from all those who would wise ill upon him. I beg of you who represents the unknown have Ned tell me who gave Jon life so I may never again look at him and see her. I plea to you with all my strength, you who outcast take comfort in; do not let Jon become one of your own, allow him to have the love of a family, to know the warmth of a lover’s touch, to feel the joy of holding a child of his own and to have the pride of father seeing his own son or daughter grow strong. Please spare his life and I will hold in my arms every time he has a nightmare, I will sing to him whenever he is hurt, I will tell him stories on the night when he cannot sleep by this I swear to you.”_

Taking in a deep breath Catelyn finished her prayer

_”Oh great Seven on this night I pray to you let Jon live and I will love him as my own, I will have my husband give him a proper name, he shall bar the name Stark an equal too his siblings, he will one of us not an outcast because of something he had no control over. This I swear to you Father, Mother, Warrior, Smith, Crone, Maiden and Stranger. Let Jon live and he will be my own in all but blood.”_

She held his hand all the while she said her silent prayer and continued to hold on as she wait for her prayer to be answered. After waiting for what seemed like hours she noticed his breathing had was slowly becoming clearer and less more steady. Felling like the worst was over she let out a sigh of relief and for the first time in that long night a smile of joy crossed her face as she fell asleep.

The next morning Catelyn Maester Luwin whoke her up with a gentle nug

"Lady Stark its morning"

As Cat turned to Luwin who had a look of worry on his face, noticing she still held Jon's hand in her own she looked at Jon as his eyes began to agust to the light she gasped at what she saw. While Jon's breathing was far clearer than before his once black hair was now a silvery-white. Looking back at Maester Luwin for answer the older man let out a sigh before saying

"I remember reading of children losing their heir color from a great trauma"

Lady Stark nodded as she waited for him to continue

"His hair aside Jon's health is fastly recovering, he will live though this but I must insist on having him remain in bed for the next few days"

Again she nodded and the Maester Luwin took his leave. Afterwards Catelyn clean Jon's brow and cheeks with her left hand while stroked his hair with her right finding it still silky soft. As Cat finished she took another look at the little boy, now that his hair was no long the same color as his father's it hurt far less to look at him. While his long face made his Stark Blood just as clear, he no longer look like a true born anymore. Cat found herself laughing at fact that the more looked like a bastard the less she thought of him as one. Knowing that she need to attend to the other children she gave Jon a kiss on his brow before leave the room.

When she return to Jon's room she found Robb and Sansa in the room with Maester Luwin. They were clearly sock at Jon's change of hair color but Luwin was reassuring them that Jon was going to be fine. That morning they ate in Jon's room, it was a quick meal and for that Cat was thankful. When the meals were finished she ushered Robb and Sansa out of the room to talk to Jon.

"You will need to remain in bed for the next few day, until then me, Sansa and Robb will eat our meals in hear with you"

Jon gazed at her with a look of shock but only nodded

"and when Maester Luwin clears you to leave you shall eat the rest of us in the main dining hall"

Again Jon only nodded in response

"As long as your father is gone, you may come to me if you need anything"

Jon looked like he was going to cry, but he managed to remain silent

"are we clear"

This time Jon replied

"Thank You"

Feeling at a loss for word Catelyn simply kiss his brow again before leaving


	2. Though Shining Violet Eyes

[Catelyn]

As the days slowly went along Catelyn knew she was caring a child within her, the change in her emotions are the first clear sign. With both Robb and Sansa she had little control over them while she seemed to have a better grasp this time around.

She guesses it is her condition that drove her to care for Jon so deeply. Unsure of if it was the child or by her own accord; she begins to tear up thinking back to all of the times she shunned when the children ran to her looking for a mother's and how alone Jon must a have felt to have no mother run to.

_"He's an insult to my marriage he deserves no sympathy"_  Says a voice in her head, the voice she listen to more often than not, she did not realize until now how much it sounded like her father.

_"An insult to a love-less marriage, Ned is no Brandon or Robert but he is still a handsome man, am I really so naive to believe that he did not have the heart of at least one fair maiden"_  Say another voice, this one is far quieter and it is this one she ignores most of the time. She does not know who this voice sounds like but she thinks it might be her mother.

_"That does not matter! He said the vows he had a duty to only me from then_   _on!"_ shouts the voice that sounds like her Father. Before even saying a word the second voice lets out a small laugh

_"Ned married me to have my father's bannermen, so he could save his sister, so he could avenge his brother and father; I was likely the last thing on his mind when he said those words. Besides he married me in a sept not a godswood would I have taken the vows so serious if the rolls had been reversed?"_ Says the voice that she is now almost certain sounds like her mother

_"Even if Ned did love another woman, I'm his wife now he should take me and the children WE share together above some bastard!"_  this time even though the voice that sounds like her father shouts it is far more quick than before

_"Does it hurt me that Jon lives here because of my pride or because he reminds me that I'm was not Ned's first love"_  this time voice that sound like her mother is clearer than it has ever been. This time the other voice had no resounse

_"I may have not loved Ned a first glance but over these wonderful years after all he has given me, how could I not fall in love with such a kind and loving man"_ again the other voice response

_"The bo-Jon needs a mother, I should not let my pride stand in the way of a innocent child who needs a mother’s love"_  the voice no longer sounds like her mother, what shocked her was it sounded like herself. It was then that Catelyn decided that she had to learn to love Jon; if not for Ned or the children, if she could not learn to love Jon she did not know if she could ever forgive herself.

 

* * *

[Jon]

It starts with Jon seeing a weirwood with a Dragon and a Direwolf embracing each other under it, then he is standing at a river as a Stag impales a Dragon, the Dragon cries out blue winter roses, shatters into countless rubies and is swallowed by the river as the Stag roars triumphant, the scene shifts to a tower as a Little Dragon clawed its way out of a Direwolf and before Jon's eyes the Little Dragon transformed into a Direwolf Pup. The Pup laid with its mother for what seemed like hours until a Quiet Direwolf appeared before them and the dying Direwolf said

_"Promise Me Ned"_

Jon awoke from the nightmare in a cold sweat, when he realized he could not fall back to sleep he left his bed for a walk. In spite of the candle-less hallways Jon found it surprisingly clear as walked through the night. He did not what led him to Lady Stark's room; all he knew was felt the need to enter.

 

* * *

[Catelyn]

The small creak of her door opening was what awoke from her slumber, she knew it has to be one of the children as no one else would come to her room at this hour. However what she does not expect was seeing a pair of glowing violet eyes staring back at her. It shocks hers for a brief moment until her own eyes adjust to the darkness, when his newly-whitened hair shines in the moonlight she realizes it is Jon. The boy looks like he just had the most terrifying nightmare of his life, when she left her bed Jon backs away like a scared animal break eye contact. A small pain went though her chest from Jon's reaction, realizing that she could make such small child be so afraid made feel a sense of shame she had never felt before. Slow walking towards him so asked

"Jon? Is everything alright?"

Look at the door for a brief moment before he slowly walked closer the door and further away from Catelyn, each step he took seem like he wanted to run far away from her. Before he was out of arms length Catelyn slowly lifted her right hand and gently put took hold of Jon left shoulder. Though Jon stopped in his tracks he still avoided eye contact.

“I’m sorry I bother you Lady Stark, I just had a bad dream” he said though various stammer and pauses. Just as it looked it Jon was going to run Catelyn kneed down softy clasping his shoulders in her hands. She looked in to his eyes they were back to their normal silvery-grey

“It’s ok Jon I said to come to me if you need anything and I meant it”

Jon blinked a few times before letting his eyes fall to the ground, Cat smiled before Jon said

“I had a nightmare, I’m scared” he said as began rubbing the tears from his eyes. Catelyn slowly guided Jon to her bed.

“It is ok Jon why do you can tell me” Cat said as they both say down on the bed, Jon took a few deep breaths before he told Lady Stark the details of his dream. When Jon was finished he looked back at his tear soaked eyes once again shining a bright violet.

Catelyn Stark was not the type of woman to believe in superstitions but with everything Jon told made her think of things she would have never would have thought of before. It made so much more since that Ned would take care of his sister’s child rather than actually fathering a bastard. If what she was thinking was true it would mean that all of the scorn she felt all these years was for nothing. A new sense of hurt filled her; she knew that it was the hurt from the fact that Ned did not trust her even after all of these years. Yet at the same time there was a feeling of relief that Jon might not be Ned’s bastard and if so she no longer had a reason to despise him. Jon looked at her for a moment before asking Catelyn.

“Lady Stark can I say here tonight, I’m so scared of going back to sleep by myself” Catelyn could tell he was afraid she would say no. With deep sigh she warped her arms around him, immediately Jon tensed up from her touch as he let out a shuttering sob.

“It is ok Jon you can stay here tonight” She tells him as they lay down on the bed, Jon slowly laid against her like babe look for a soft spot on its mother’s shoulder. After Catelyn pulled the covers over the both of them Jon barely whispered

“Thank you”

After look down at Jon Catelyn could see his eyes had once again returned to their normal slivery-grey, though confused Catelyn merely said

“Do not worry Jon everything is going to be fine and just”

As they both fall to sleep Catelyn is unsure if she was comforting Jon or herself

* * *

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